Airplane control mechanism



Get. 10, 1944. E IAS z mmm AIRPLANE CONTROL MECHANI SM Filed March 51, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 In ventar fmJZJEZZkS @cfc. w, 1944-. E. J. ELIAS AIRPLANE GONTROLMEGHANISM Filed March 51, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 .H 7 7 J Z 4 Z Z w H FW/Wm Inventor ,m -i my A tep E. J. ELIAS AIRPLANE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed March 51, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet s @cfi. 10,1944,

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Inventor Patented Oct. 10, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL MECHANISM Emil Joseph Elias, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 31, 1942, Serial No. 437,078

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and use ful improvements in airplanes and has particular reference to control means for steering the airplane in either a vertical or horizontal direction.

An important object of the present invention is to provide control means for the airplane mounted on the rear end portion thereof and adapted to control the movement of the airplane in either a vertical or horizontal direction whereby to eliminate the use of the usual rudder for steering the airplane horizontally and also to eliminate the use of the conventional form of air foils, or elevators to control the ascent or descent of the airplane.

A further object of the present invention is to provide control means of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rear end of the airplane fuselage showing the control means mounted in position thereon.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View through one of the control members taken substantially on a line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the operating rods for the control members, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the movable pocketsforming the control member.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates the rear portion of an airplane fuselage which terminates in a conical shaped tail 6, a partition 1 being provided inside of the fuselage at the junction of the tail portion 6 therewith.

Projecting radially outwardly from the tail portion 6, at 90 angles with respect to each other, are a plurality of pockets designated generally at 8 and including an upper pocket 9, a lower pocket l0, a.right-hand pocket H, and a left-hand pocket l2.

The pockets are of closed construction and extend longitudinally of the tail portion 6, the front wall of each of the pockets, designated at 13, projecting radially with respect to the tail 6 and the outer wall of the pocket tapers toward the rear end of the tail portion 6 and merges therewith.

Each of the side walls of the pockets are formed with slots M which are inclined forwardly and outwardly, as ShOWn to advantage in Figure 1 of the drawings, and the tail portion 6 is formed with spaced pairs of slots l5 communicating with each of the pockets through the bottom portion thereof. The outer wall of each of the pockets is also formed with a pair of lon gitudinally extending slots [6 adapted to receive the side edges of a channel-shaped movable pocket, shown generally at H in Figure 6 of the drawings.

The movable pocket I! is likewise of tapering construction and is adapted for movement outwardly with respect to the stationary pocket, the rear tapering end of the movable pocket I! being hingedly connected as at l8 to the rear end of the stationary pocket. The front end and bottom of the movable pocket l! are open and the side edges of the movable pocket are also adapted to enter the slots I5 formed in the fuselage.

The side edges of the movable pocket I! are also formed with longitudinally extending slots 19 through which the ends of a cross-bar 20' project, the ends of the cross-bar also extending through the slots l4 of the stationary pocket.

Rotatably mounted on each end of the crossbar is a sleeve 2! having a flange 22 formed thereon adapted for bearing against the inner wall at the sides of the movable pocket and the outer end of the sleeve is provided with a collar 23,disposed against the outer wall of the stationary pocket and cooperating with the flange 22 to prevent end play of the sleeve.

A central longitudinal slot I5 is also formed in the wall of the tail portion at the bottom of the stationary pocket for slidably receiving the angular rear end 24 of a rod 22 which is attached to an intermediate portion of the bar 20. The rods 25 for the several movable pockets extend forwardly in the tail portion through openings 26 in the partition I and are pivotally connected at their forward ends to lever 21 leading to a con venient position for operation by the pilot.

In the operation of the device it will be apparent that'by opening any of the pockets l'l during flight of the airplane that air resistance is provided at that side of the tail of the fuselage which will act to turn the nose of the fuselage toward the side of the open pocket and thereby provide steering means for the airplane. Likewise the ascent and descent of the airplane may be controlled through the opening of the upper and lower movable pockets,

It is believed the details of construction and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

1. Means for controlling direction of travel of an airplane comprising a stationary closed pocket on the body of the airplane, said pocket including side Walls extending longitudinally of the body having slots therein inclined outwardly in a forward direction, said pocket also including an outer wall having longitudinal slots therein, a movable pocket of channel shape in cross-section with its edges positioned in said last-named slots, means pivotally attaching the rear end of the v movable pocket to the body, the front end of the movable pocket being open, and actuating means for the movable pocket slidably mounted in the first-named slots and connected to the movable pocket for moving the front end thereof toward and away from the body.

2. Means for controllingdirection of travel of an airplane comprising a stationary closed pocket onthe body of the airplane, said pocket including side Walls extending longitudinally of the body having slots therein inclined outwardly in a forward direction, said pocket also including an outer wall having longitudinal slots therein, a movable pocket of channel shape in cross-section with its edges positioned in said last-named slots, means pivotally attaching the rear end of the movable pocket to the body, the front end of the movable pocket being open, said movable pocket also having slots in its side walls, and a member disposed in the first and last-named slots for traveling therein to move the front end of the movable pocket toward and awayfrom the body. a

EMIL JOSEPH ELIAS. 

